


Of Unicorns and Uniforms

by NicePumpkinSpice



Series: Of Sweet Memories and Guarded Moments [21]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-16
Packaged: 2018-03-13 04:59:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3368723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicePumpkinSpice/pseuds/NicePumpkinSpice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Filling in gaps in the romance of Cullen Rutherford and Evelyn Trevelyan.  This particular vignette occurs when their relationship is well established.  Fluff with a tiny bit of angst.  Part of a series that will get these goofy ideas out of my head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Unicorns and Uniforms

Walking up the stairs to the Inquisitor’s quarters, Cullen heard faint humming and smiled to himself. Evelyn only sang or whistled when she was happy, so he felt relieved that his visit would be pleasant. She was NOT a morning person, so conversations before breakfast could be dicey. In fact, he had adopted the habit of slipping out of bed quietly so as to avoid waking her. He had discovered early in their relationship how sharp her temper could be before her morning tea and that it was best to give her space in the wee hours. It should have made him angry that she was so cantankerous in the mornings but instead it endeared her to him more - just the tiniest of flaws that let him know that she was beautifully human not just an icon.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he saw that she was bathing. Taking a few steps closer, he noticed that her head was partially submerged in the water, eyes shut tight, breasts bobbing in the water as her feet tapped out the rhythm of the tub on the side of the bath. It was too perfect of a moment to interrupt - his love happy, relaxed, and well _naked_. Sitting up with her eyes still shut, she reached around blindly for her shampoo, grabbed it, and set to work making a fierce lather in her hair while continuing to hum Maryden’s catchy tune about the rogue Sera. Then obviously thinking she was still alone fashioned the soapy mess of curls into a sudsy unicorn horn. Cullen couldn’t suppress a laugh. Evelyn’s eyes popped open and fixed on him in horror. 

“How long have you been there?” she gasped mortified that he had caught her in such a childish moment.

“Long enough to see that unicorns aren’t extinct.” he replied dryly. Evelyn was miffed. He could be so infuriatingly smug at times.

Conjuring water from her hands to rinse the suds away, she turned toward him with a stern look. “Well, you could at least wash my back to make up for your trespass.” Her harsh words were softened by the sly smile that spread on her lips. “Anything for you, my lady.” Cullen replied taking off his gloves, rolling up his sleeves, and grabbing the wash cloth.

She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them tightly as he made a gentle lather on her back. Sighing loudly, she commented, “This reminds me of a happy time in the Circle.” He briefly stopped what he was doing caught off guard by her mention of the Circle. Neither of them had very many fond memories of the time spent inside what Evelyn referred to as a mage prison. Nor did they often speak of those years spent as captor and captive. Granted she had never be held at one of the Circles in which he served as Templar...guardian... _jailor_ but there was a bit of unease in their relationship because of their differing backgrounds.

He resumed washing slow circles on her back as she described the old lyrium addled templar that was assigned to watch over the mages as they bathed. Evelyn had been very young when her magic manifested, and she was placed in the circle before her sixth birthday. That templar had helped Evelyn bathe until she was old enough to manage on her on. But even when Evelyn had gotten older, the feeble lady would wash Evelyn’s back while humming tavern songs. “It wasn’t anything creepy.” Evelyn added. “She just treated me like a person. Maybe her brain had been ravaged by lyrium to the point that she no longer feared magic. Maybe she was just kind. I don’t know but she made me feel like I mattered.” 

Cullen winced at the mention of lyrium’s side effects. Few outside the Templar order knew that the substance that gave them the ability to nullify magic also slowly robbed them of their health and sanity. _One of the chantry’s dirty little secrets_ he thought to himself. Lyrium was incredibly addictive, and the Chantry kept a leash on its templars by controlling their access to it. Evelyn had seen Cullen through the worst of his withdrawals as he broke that last tie to the Chantry. It still gave him pause, however, to think of the future he would have had if he hadn’t stopped using.

“What happened to her when the Circle fell?” he asked wishing he hadn’t nearly as soon as the question left his lips. Evelyn wordlessly stood up from the tub, quickly grabbed a towel, tightly wrapped it around herself, and purposefully strode away from him to the closet. While he had shared his worst moments with her, Evelyn had yet to say much about her dark times in the Circle. He knew from the nightmares that left her thrashing, trembling, screaming in their bed that there were many memories that haunted her. She just wasn’t willing to share them yet or perhaps ever. 

“So what should I wear? Beige, beige, or ... beige?” she intoned from the closet. Knowing that she was signaling a need to change the subject, Cullen quipped, “Oh, I don’t know ... how about taupe today?” It was an inside joke of theirs about the clothes Evelyn wore around Skyhold. Early in the Inquisition’s founding when she was still recovering from wounds sustained at Haven, Evelyn had asked Cassandra to purchase some soft leathers for her to wear at Skyhold so she could quickly don her armor if the need arose. Ever pragmatic, Cassandra had picked the nondescript color because in her words, “It hides dirt well.” Dutifully, she proceeded to order several of the exact same style, “So the Inquisitor won’t waste time picking out an outfit when Thedas deserves her attention.” As a result, Evelyn was left with a closet of practical, dull leathers that she couldn’t avoid using if she wanted to remain on the Seeker’s good side. At least Dorian had found some sparkly baubles and clasps to dress them up a bit. 

Evelyn stepped out of the closet and struck a pose, “I opted for khaki today. What do you think?” Cullen grinned and said, “I should at least thank the Seeker for choosing to have them tailored to fit you so well. Maker’s breath - you’re gorgeous.” Walking over toward her, he grabbed her waist and nuzzled her neck. “Do you think we might have time to... ahem... before the council meets?” he asked saucily. “Cassandra would die if she knew how I chose to spend the time saved picking out clothes.” Evelyn replied naughtily while pulling him toward their bed.


End file.
